Finding Your Fit, A Job That Works

Having switched jobs rather frequently in the last four years (three to be exact), I've come to see what fits and doesn't fit in each particular job. The strong job market has certainly helped create more positive 'fits' than not.

More specifically, 'fits' are things like .....

• The role matches your skills, interest, and career goals (higher match = more success)
  
• Your manager (supports your development/success, can learn a lot from him/her)
  
• Company culture (coworkers you respect and enjoy spending time with)
  
• Growth trajectory of role and company (e.g. flat and "earlier stage"= rise faster)
  
• Compensation (more is better)
  
• Commute (makes quite the difference!)
  
• Autonomy (ability to make decisions and act on them)
  
• Participation in company success (i.e. equity, stock options)
  

Each person clearly places different weights on particular 'fits' and it's the weighted average of all of them that creates an overall score for happiness in a job. By no means is it scientific. It comes down to the feeling you have when you wake up each morning and head off to work.

The process of switching jobs has helped refine the values I place on 'fits' and helped me come closer to my ideal. For me, it was realizing that I thrive in certain organizational structures better than others (e.g. flatter and smaller) and truly understanding what gets me pumped (e.g. online monetization, the consumer). It's kind of like finding the beat to a song that starts to stick and then reacting to it. For the '80's kids, think 'sprinkler' and 'running man' ... at will and all the time.

Some are lucky enough to find their 'fit' earlier in their career than others. Most do not and that's ok. Many use graduate school (business school in my case) in general to discover the ideal. I know I did. I was your typical career switcher that attempted to make the move from investment banking to technology product management. It certainly didn't happen over night but it eventually worked out.

During the transition phases in between jobs, it's a great use of time to reflect and gain self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. Understanding this about yoursefl is so important in successful career management. It helps you make better decisions and ultimately steers you down a path that you'll be better equipped for and most importantly, a path you're more likely to enjoy.